- Trump give the Pentagon the authority to set Afghanistan troop levels. [Link]
- Jerry Hartfield was released from prison after waiting 35 years for a trial. Hartfield was released from prison because his right to a quick and speedy trial had been violated. [Link]
- A judge has ordered Reality Winner to remain in jail while her trial for leaking a document to the Intercept is pending. [Link] Scott Horton and Peter Van Buren discuss the strange situation surrounding the leak. [Link]
- Luke Airforce base continues to halt F-35 flights after several pilots hypoxia-like symptoms. [Link]
- A bill that would block a $510 million weapons sale to Saudi Arabia fails in the Senate 47-53. [Link]
- The $110 billion in weapons Trump agreed to sell to Saudi Arabia include seven THAAD batteries and over 100,000 air to ground munitions. [Link]
- The US drone program only publicly reports about 20% of its drone strikes. [Link]
- Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli was arrested in the US on Monday. He had a hearing on Tuesday, and a judge ordered him to remain in US custody until June 20th. The current government of Panama is requesting the US extradite Martinelli. [Link]
- German leader Merkel says the world should implement rules on cyber crimes. [Link]
- Catalonia will vote for independence from Spain in October. [Link]
- A US college student held in prison in North Korea has been released from jail. The young man is currently in a coma. [Link]
- 2,500 refugees were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea over the past weekend. Over 50 refugees were reported to be missing. [Link]
- Thousands of people gathered in Morocco to protest government corruption and abuse of power. [Link]
- Claudia Gazzini retells her recent trip to Southwest Libya. The area has seen several rounds of tribal fighting since the fall of Gaddafi. [Link]
- Mattis admits the US is not winning in Afghanistan. Mattis said the US will make an announcement on troop levels mid-July. [Link]
- Gareth Porter explains the long failing US policy in Afghanistan. [Link]
- Iraqi forces claim they have taken a district from ISIS in Mosul. IS now controls two districts in Mosul. [Link]
- This article looks at why the US policy in Southern Syria is misguided and will fail. [Link]
- The UN World Food Program used a digital currency to distribute aid to civilians in Syria. [Link]
- The Syrian Arab Army has made advancements towards Raqqa on the highway between Ithriya and Tabqa. [Link]
- Assad-allied forces in Southern Syria made a key tactical move to loop around the US-backed Arab forces. This could prevent the US-backed forces from getting to Deir Ezzor. [Link]
- A cholera outbreak in Yemen has infected 124,000 and killed 923. [Link]
- Yemeni government forces make progress against the Houthi in Tazi. 30 fighters were killed in the battle. [Link]
- Mortality rates in Venezuela are skyrocketing. Maternal mortality was up 66% last year, and infant mortality was up 30%. 16,000 doctors have fled Venezuela in the past 12 years. [Link]
- Reports from Marawi claims the ISIS-linked rebel group is executing and enslaving civilians. About 1,000 civilians remain in the city. [Link]
On Foreign Policy Focus #53, I look at the war machine’s propaganda. The propaganda creates a false narrative about US wars overseas. The lies that are told by the media and government about war allow US support for war to continue. The war harms the people of the US and the Middle East while enriching and empowering wealthy elites. By knowing how to identify the propaganda you can avoid believing it. LISTEN HERE!!
